{"id":397111,"date":"2026-09-11T18:24:11","date_gmt":"2026-09-11T18:24:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/397111\/"},"modified":"2026-09-11T18:24:11","modified_gmt":"2026-09-11T18:24:11","slug":"theres-no-gravesite-tallahassee-woman-remembers-loved-one-killed-on-9-11","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/397111\/","title":{"rendered":"\u2018There\u2019s no gravesite\u2019: Tallahassee woman remembers loved one killed on 9\/11"},"content":{"rendered":"

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WCTV) – Among the millions of people who lost loved ones to the Sept. 11 attacks, a Tallahassee woman finds herself returning to New York City every year to honor her uncle and the other victims.<\/p>\n

Gabrielle Gabrielli\u2019s uncle, Richard Gabrielle, was one of the 2,977 victims who lost their lives on 9\/11. <\/p>\n

\"RichardRichard Gabrielle stands next to his VW.(Gabrielle Gabrielli)<\/p>\n

Twenty-five years may have passed, but for Gabrielli and so many others, the pain of that day and the aftermath are still very much in the present.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s still so hard,\u201d Gabrielli said. \u201cTwenty-five years later, the grief is still incredibly strong.\u201d<\/p>\n

That\u2019s why she goes back every year to make sure people remember each name represents a person deeply loved, like her uncle, Richard Gabrielle.<\/p>\n

Richard Gabrielle was 50 years old when he died on Sept. 11, 2001. A son, brother, husband and father, he was known for his sense of humor and loved by so many.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe would listen to Frank Sinatra together, and we would compare notes on how thrifty we were and we just shared a lot of common characteristics,\u201d Gabrielli said.<\/p>\n

Growing up, Gabrielli says she and her uncle were very close, living under the same roof at one point. But even when they lived in different cities, she\u2019d use her school vacations to go see him.<\/p>\n

\"AA young Gabrielle and Richard smile together on a chair.(Gabrielle Gabrielli)<\/p>\n

\u201cI have so many great memories with him; almost every memory I have with him is a positive one,\u201d Gabrielli said.<\/p>\n

That all changed the morning of Sept. 11, 2001. Gabrielli was in her early 20s, working at West Point when she heard the news: a plane had hit the north tower of the World Trade Center.<\/p>\n

\u201cI started calling with both phones trying to reach him, and I could not reach him,\u201d Gabrielli said.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s when she turned on the TV and watched as another plane hit the south tower.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen I saw the south tower get hit, I knew that if he was at work, he was in the south tower and my heart just dropped,\u201d Gabrielli said.<\/p>\n

Richard Gabrielle worked on the 103rd floor as the vice president of the Aon Corporation. Gabrielli said her family later learned he was on the 78th floor, waiting for an elevator as people were trying to get out.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy godfather and uncle, being the amazing person he was, stayed there on the 78th floor, cracking jokes with people, trying to lighten the mood a little bit,\u201d Gabrielli said. \u201cHe didn\u2019t take the first elevators he could have taken.\u201d<\/p>\n

More Tallahassee news:<\/p>\n

When the second plane hit, it hit the 78th floor; a marble slab fell on him, breaking both of his legs, pinning him underneath. After 25 years, the remains of Richard Gabrielle have never been recovered.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s no gravesite,\u201d Gabrielli said. \u201cGoing to [the National Sept. 11 Memorial] is my way of visiting him and paying tribute to him.\u201d<\/p>\n

After the attack, Gabrielli felt compelled to do something. She volunteered with the Red Cross, helping first responders at the pile.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was really hard,\u201d Gabrielli said. \u201cI remember the smell especially; I\u2019ll never forget the smell. It was a smell of not just the building, but I believe I was smelling death, and it was so heartbreaking.\u201d<\/p>\n

Details about what happened to Richard Gabrielli were limited after the attack.<\/p>\n

\u201cFor the longest time, we thought my uncle Richie died alone,\u201d Gabrielli said. <\/p>\n

Later, Gabrielli says the victims\u2019 families were allowed to hear first responder recordings from that day. That\u2019s when they learned Richard Gabrielle wasn\u2019t alone.<\/p>\n

Two men, Fire Marshal Ronald Bucca and Battalion Chief Orio Palmer, were there, trying to save him.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere was comfort knowing that first responders made it to him,\u201d Gabrielli said. <\/p>\n

Years later, at a 9\/11 commemoration ceremony, Gabrielli wanted to pay respects to the men who were with her uncle that day. <\/p>\n

When she arrived at the panel with Palmer\u2019s name, there was a family there. That\u2019s when someone came up to her asking who she was there to see. When she said Palmer, the person revealed they were Palmer\u2019s sister, Aggie.<\/p>\n

Gabrielli believes this cosmic meeting was probably orchestrated by her uncle. Connected by their loss, the two became friends.<\/p>\n

\u201cI am so incredibly grateful for the friendship,\u201d Gabrielli said. \u201cFor the family that I now get to spend time with every year.\u201d<\/p>\n

Gabrielli returns to the National September 11 Memorial every year to remember the 2,977 people who died that day.<\/p>\n

\u201cTo honor the fallen who come from so many countries, who have so many stories, is so incredibly special,\u201d Gabrielli said. <\/p>\n

The National September 11 Memorial hosts a lottery system every year to pick victims\u2019 family members to read the names of those killed. Gabrielli said she has been picked every year for 16 years, only missing one. <\/p>\n

\u201cTo me, it\u2019s probably the most important thing I do on 9\/11,\u201d Gabrielli said. <\/p>\n

She even got the opportunity to read alongside Aggie one year and is doing it again this year.<\/p>\n

\"GabrielleGabrielle (right) and Aggie (left) reading names together at the 9\/11 Memorial Ceremony.(Gabrielle Gabrielli)<\/p>\n

\u201cI like to learn who they are, where they were in their life, if they were a first responder, as much as possible,\u201d Gabrielli said. \u201cI like to learn their stories.\u201d<\/p>\n

This year is extra special for her, not just because of the 25th anniversary, but because most of her family is reuniting there for the first time. Gabrielli said for some, the grief from that day is still too much.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey can\u2019t even go on a plane, they can\u2019t fly to [the 9\/11 Memorial], they can\u2019t go to New York, they don\u2019t want to be there,\u201d Gabrielli said.<\/p>\n

\"GabrielleGabrielle Gabrielli (Far Right) and Richard Gabrielle (Next to Gabrielle)(Gabrielle Gabrielli)<\/p>\n

While she still grieves, going back to the 9\/11 Memorial year after year, reading the names and learning people\u2019s stories has helped her heal.<\/p>\n

This year there will also be a moment to honor a different group of people, those who have died since the attacks from Sept. 11-related illnesses. Gabrielli herself developed leukemia from volunteering at the pile.<\/p>\n

On this 25th anniversary of the attacks, Gabrielli asks one thing.<\/p>\n

\"PanelPanel with the name of Richard Gabrielle and his favorite flower.(Gabrielle Gabrielli)<\/p>\n

\u201cPlease honor all the fallen, including my own family.\u201d<\/p>\n

On the way to her uncle and godfather\u2019s funeral, Gabrielli put her grief into words, writing a poem that she shared.<\/p>\n

\u201cYour Spirit Lives On\u201d For Richard S. Gabrielle, 12\/14\/1950- 9\/11\/2001<\/p>\n

The loss, the sadness, the emptiness inside<\/p>\n

The pain and grief we cannot hide<\/p>\n

Somehow it still seems surreal<\/p>\n

But beyond the ashes of devastation,<\/p>\n

Together we must heal<\/p>\n

Because your spirit lives on. <\/p>\n

Your spirit lives in our memories.<\/p>\n

You gave so much joy to our lives<\/p>\n

50 wonderful years\u2019 worth.<\/p>\n

We cannot let one day of terror<\/p>\n

Overtake the mirth.<\/p>\n

Your spirit lives in our acceptance.<\/p>\n

Everything in life happens for a reason,<\/p>\n

We may never know the reasons why.<\/p>\n

We thank God to have been blessed with you in our lives,<\/p>\n

Though it\u2019s not fair when people we love die.<\/p>\n

Your spirit lives in our hearts.<\/p>\n

You overcame and excelled.<\/p>\n

A loyal husband, a devoted dad,<\/p>\n

Gave your little girl love, support, and encouragement, <\/p>\n

All the things you never had.<\/p>\n

Your spirit lives in our hopes.<\/p>\n

You made the most of everything<\/p>\n

Though laughter sometimes hid the pain,<\/p>\n

The little boy who lost his mom <\/p>\n

Is finally in her arms again.<\/p>\n

Your spirit lives in our minds.<\/p>\n

You triumphed in the face of adversity<\/p>\n

Successful in everything you tried.<\/p>\n

Intelligent, compassionate, and kind;<\/p>\n

Your passion for learning never died.<\/p>\n

Your spirit lives in our faith.<\/p>\n

Angel Gabriel is God\u2019s great messenger<\/p>\n

Telling us we must be strong,<\/p>\n

Treating others as we\u2019d like to be treated.<\/p>\n

In your name we must carry on.<\/p>\n

Your spirit lives in our unity.<\/p>\n

You enriched our lives<\/p>\n

From the day that you were born<\/p>\n

But your power is stronger now than ever<\/p>\n

As friends and strangers unite and mourn.<\/p>\n

Yes, it\u2019s time to say goodbye,<\/p>\n

But only to the pain<\/p>\n

We must grow from your great spirit<\/p>\n

For you did not die in vain.<\/p>\n

Your spirit lives on through our love.<\/p>\n

Our lives are forever changed since the evil on nine eleven<\/p>\n

But peace and freedom will prevail with your loving soul in heaven.<\/p>\n

We must celebrate your life to heal,<\/p>\n

Live our lives to the fullest to get beyond the pain.<\/p>\n

You left this earth a hero<\/p>\n

And your spirit will always remain.<\/p>\n

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